Johannesburg – Four men have been robbed of their stokvel money outside a bank in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal police said on Tuesday.

Two men confronted Jabulani Mdlalose, 56, and three other members of a stokvel when they left a bank in the city centre on Monday, said police spokesperson Thulani Zwane.

“One of them placed a cloth on Mdlalose’s face and forced him to the ground,” he said.

The robbers took a plastic bag containing R140 300 from Mdlalose and fled in a car.

No arrests had been made.

A stokvel is a group savings scheme, usually run by trusted friends or co-workers, where members contribute a set amount each month and either one member gets the total each month to spend on a personal need, or it is invested and divided among members at an agreed time.

– SAPA